Improvement in refrigerators



2 Sheets-Sheet 2. C. B. PAGE.

REFRIGERATOR.

No.175,1 43. Patented March 21,1876.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CARTER B. PAGE, OF BLADEN SBURG, MARYLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN REFRIGERATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 175,143, dated March21, 1876; application filed February 26, 1876.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARTER B. PAGE, of the town of Bladensburg, in thecounty of Prince George and State of Maryland, have invented a new anduseful Improvement in Refrigerators and VVater-Goolers, whichimprovement is fully set. forth in the following specification,reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

The object of .my invention is to cause hot air to generate moistureupon the cold surface of the metal box which contains the ice, whichmoisture shall be a perfect protection to the ice within from heatWithout, and. by the evaporation of that moisture to prevent the icefrom melting, and at the same time produce intense cold.

A representation of the refrigerator is given in perspective view inFigure l of the accompanyiu g drawings.

This machine is illustrated more in detail in Figs. 2 and 3.

The outer framework or is of wood. Within this is the framework b ofgalvanized iron -or zinc, forming with it air-chamber N0. 1.

odor arising therefrom.

Near the center of thevrefrigerator a horizontal partition, Z, separatesit into two apartments. Directly under this partition, on either side,are chimney-shaped flues f f h h, leading from the lower apartmentthrough chamber No. 2 into the upper apartment near the top. In theupper apartment is suspended metal box A, forming, with the sides ofchamber No. 2, chamber No. 3. Into this chamber, by means of air-holes gon either side near the top, the hot air is allowed to pass, whereaqueous vapors as the air plays upon the cold surface of the ice'box arecondensed into water. This air having given off its heat becomes heavyand falls, creating a partial vacuum, which vacuum is filled by warm airfrom without, which, in its turn, is chilled down and falls, thusproducing a continuous descending current. This descending current isallowed to pass throughthe horizontal partition .into the lowerapartment,

where it displaces the warm air and forces it up through thechimney-shaped flnes into the upper apartment, which, coming in contactwith the cold surface of the ice-box, is also chilled down and falls,leaving a vacuum to be filled by the rushing in of more hot air.

By means of this ascending and descending current, the air is kept inconstant circulation, which, as it plays around the surface of theice-box, which has now become perfectly saturated with moisture, willevaporate that moisture, and in so doing will extract heat fromsurrounding objects, and the latent heat from the ice itself.

U nder' the ice-box, in the lower apartment, is a water-cooler,constructed on the principle described above, around which a current ofair is made to circulate to evaporate the moisture generated thereon. Ametal tube, extending down into the cooler, connects it with theice-box, and imparts to the water a degree of coldness that renders itunnecesssary to use the ice for that purpose.

The ice-box is divided into separate apartments, and when a greaterintensity of cold is desired, a metal box containing salt and crackedice may be inserted.

Not the least feature of this machine is, that none of its parts, exceptthe water-cooler, are stationary, and may be removed, cleansed, andreplaced at pleasure.

I claim as my invention-- 1. The combination, in a refrigerator-case, ofan apertured drip-pan, extending closely to the sides of the case, aclose-sided ice-box apart from the sides of the case and bottom of thepan, and one or more flues connecting the space about the ice-box withthe inferior food chamber, as and for the purpose described.

2. In a refrigeratorcase, the combination of an apertured drip-panforming a partition, a close-sided and isolated ice-box, one or moreflues connecting the air-spaces about the icebox with air-passages fromthe exterior of the case, to the space about the ice-box, as and for thepurpose described.

CARTER B. pace.

Witnesses:

THOMAS C. OONNOLLY, A. ScrroEPF.

